I work at Aldi – the reason your items are scanned so quickly & the trick that allows cashiers to be extra speedy
IF you’ve ever shopped in Aldi you probably already know the cashiers are known for their speeding scanning skills at the tills.
In fact, it’s become a bit of an inside joke for shoppers who love to grab a bargain in the supermarket over recent years.
But it turns there’s a good reason your items are whizzed through the tills so fast, and there’s a trick that makes it all possible for the cashiers too.
The German supermarket chain even previously claimed their checkout areas are 40 percent quicker than other popular stores like Tesco and Asda – so you’re not just imagining your grub shooting through the tills are such high speeds.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, a spokesperson for Aldi revealed that employees are “encouraged to be as efficient as possible which helps us to keep prices low for our customers.”
“Our employees are trained to operate the checkout at the appropriate pace for each individual they serve,” the continued.
But just how do the workers manage to scan your items so much faster than their rivals?
Well, it turns out there’s a very practical reason, and you’ve might’ve even spotted before.
Cashiers don’t have to spend time looking for tiny barcodes on products because there are multiple of them on all packaging.
And on some food products, like tins, the barcode goes all the way around the packaging, making it even more efficient to scan.
All those seconds of not looking for the barcode to scan must add up, which is why Aldi can get you through the tills so much faster than other supermarkets.
There’s another savvy trick you might’ve noticed in the shop too, and it’s also there to move things along quickly.
The tills are much smaller than at other supermarkets, and instead there’s an area at the end of the store where people can bag their shopping up.
Redirecting customers to this area rather than them bagging their items at the tills means queues can move along faster too.
All this speediness must help Aldi because despite the soaring price of food during the lost of living living crisis shops like Aldi and Lidl have managed to keep prices much lower than their competitors.
According to the latest research from Which?, “both Aldi and Lidl outperformed the ‘big four’ supermarkets – Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco – again this year”.
The consumer expert said it’s “unsurprising at a time when value has become so important to shoppers.”
In a former Channel 5 documentary titled Aldi Vs Lidl: Supermarket Wars, retail experts lifted the lid on the two German up-starts tactics to ensure products are as cheap as chips.
The narrator said Aldi and Lidl’s “success is clearly visible” and Natalie Berg, a retail expert explained: “Aldi [and Lidl are] about simplicity and ruthless efficiency.
“It’s substance over style; products are displayed in cardboard boxes, or left on the pallets themselves so they can take the products right from the lorry and place them right onto the shelves.
“Staff can quickly stock the shelves and get on with other tasks.”
The German discounters have also come up with other methods of capturing shoppers’ attention, including one distinct layout feature; Aldi Specialbuys and Middle of Lidl where customers can pick up non-food deals and offers.
Shoppers walk in every week excited to see what’s in the middle aisle of the shop – from inflatable canoes to winter socks.
When's the best time to shop at Aldi?
WHEN it comes to shopping at Aldi, the best time to do so depends on what you want to buy.
For reduced items – when shops open
Red sticker items are rare at Aldi’s 830 UK stores, but the supermarket says that none of its food goes to waste so there are some to be found – if you’re quick.
A spokesman for the supermarket said: “All items are reduced to 50 per cent of the recommend sales price before stores open on their best before or use by dates.”
That means you have the best chance of finding reduced food items if you go into stores as soon as it opens.
Opening times vary by shop but a majority open from 7am or 8am. You can find your nearest store’s times by using the supermarket’s online shop finder tool.
For Specialbuys – Thursdays and Sundays
Specialbuys are Aldi’s weekly collection of items that it doesn’t normally sell, which can range from pizza ovens to power tools.
New stock comes into stores every Thursday and Sunday, so naturally, these are the best days to visit for the best one-off special deals.
For an even better chance of bagging the best items, head there for your local store’s opening time.
You don’t have to head into stores to bag a Specialbuy, though.
They also go on sale online, usually at midnight on Thursday and Sunday, and you can pre-order them up to a week in advance.
As long as you spend at least £25, you’ll get the items delivered for free.
Remember: once they’re gone, they’re gone, so if there’s something you really want, visit as early as possible